With technology rapidly advancing, it's never been more important for companies to meet evolving customer expectations. But companies need to start by understanding their customers and the total Customer Experience (CX) before introducing new technologies. An emerging trend is that the gap between CX leaders and laggards is widening – and will continue to widen – as the companies with a clear CX execution strategy enjoy greater growth than those who haven't yet set a clear path forward. In this article, we’ll take a look at 3 key areas that differentiate Leaders from Laggards. 

The Royal Commission into the Australian financial industry has unearthed some nasty truths about the nation’s Big Four banks including revelations that they provided shoddy home loan, credit card and financing information, charged fees for no service, intentionally misled the regulator and lost customer data.

Retail is changing. On top of the rising popularity of online shopping there is also a tectonic demographic shift taking place. As Baby Boomers retire and the remaining Generation Xers enter their 40s, Millennials are beginning to enter the mid-stage of their career. As a result, their buying power is increasing and they are changing the retail game.

Retail is currently in a state of upheaval both globally and here in Australia. Facing weakening growth, changing customer expectations and increasing competition online brick-and-mortar retailers must explore customer experience (CX) strategies that will allow them to thrive, and, in some cases, survive.

“I explained I’m a gambler...they can clearly see that I’ve got a gambling problem because of the transactions I’ve been making, and I don’t understand why they keep offering me more money.”

- David Harris, a witness in the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry

SYDNEY, 9 May 2018 — Ping Identity, the leader in Identity Defined Security, today announced that Versent, a Melbourne-headquartered technology, managed services and PaaS provider, has been named “Partner of the Year” for the Asia Pacific market. Versent received the award based on its commitment to driving new license revenue through customer acquisition, in addition to delivering digital identity innovation among customer organisations.

Sydney, Australia, May 8, 2018 – Heineken Urban Polo is using Oracle artificial intelligence (AI) in the cloud to help it revolutionise the sport of Kings and bring the game of polo closer to the consumer.  Through a digital concierge accessed from a mobile phone, all the event’s information is being put at attendees’ fingertips – how to get there, where the bar is, what times the matches start, when the pony parade is on, rules of the game, details of players, which DJs are playing and when, and so on.

It's no secret that online retail has been growing in recent years. Across the globe, the trend towards online retailing has resulted in the mass closure of physical stores, and for many brick and mortar retailers to rethink their strategies. 

Singapore – April 26, 2018 – Companies in Asia-Pacific are more confident in their ability to disrupt markets by implementing new digital technologies and business models, according to research conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC), and commissioned by Avaya Holdings Corp (NYSE: AVYA). Almost a third, 29.2%, of respondents said they were market disrupters, compared with the global average of 19.5%. 

In less than two weeks, we are hosting Experience Avaya APAC in Singapore, a city that ranks alongside the likes of Dubai and New York as a global business hub. As I get ready for this event, those two cities are very much top of mind for me right now – and it’s because of blockchain.